Monthly Archives: December 2014

As part of the celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Vision GRAM-publish this document to assert the rights of survivors of gun violence.

VGI supports the theme this year, “Human Rights 365” which instills the idea that every day 365 days in a year, each of us, wherever we may be, is entitled to the enjoyment of all rights man as stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Hundreds of women kidnapped by militias and armed groups in the eastern of DR Congo

“They have no peace; they undergo physical and psychological torture throughout their lives. This has created a situation that has destroyed the lives of families, the community and the nation as a whole.”

December 2014

These women have suffered an interminable ordeal since the advent of armed conflict in eastern DR Congo.

Kalonge is one of those territories, which host a large number of Rwandan Hutu refugees since 1994. Their presence has impoverished the people by creating an unsafe environment. Since then the population pay the heavy price.

Women and children are the first victims recruited to fight, raped, abducted, and treated as sex slaves. The active rebels and militias have prevented the population from going to the fields because they occupied forests and villages.

One woman, Marguerite, had a bad experience when one day she fell into their hands. “It was a Friday, I was returning from the fields with my two friends from the neighborhood. We met a group of FDLR (Rwandan Hutu rebels) under command of a certain Tharcisse. They arrested us and brought us to their camp. Upon arrival, they started arguing about who would take me. Then the great commander decided to stay with me. His teammates were then removed to create another group after a fight, so there was division because of me. ”

After two months of captivity, she became pregnant, while the military were already beginning to hunt down. “So he (the captain) told me that he will get me someone who will accompany me in a safe place until I find my village, because he did not want me to be killed by the military. This is what was done. We crossed rivers in order to not leave any footsteps.”

On the one hand, despite her return to the village, she was accused by local population to be the basis for the death of her colleagues: “My neighbors in the village accused me of having killed my two sisters, yet they were killed in the bush when they wanted to escape while they were there for two months.”

On the other side, the husband refused to allow her to come back. “My husband did not want to see me and I was not in contact with him, each occupied his house.” Thus, Marguerite observed, helplessly, fields confiscated by her husband.

Pregnancies resulting from rape are undesirable in the family, according to the tradition, threats and risks become greater. Many women prefer to keep the child, which is not the case for other family members.

Children born of rape suffer trauma, stigma and rejection because of the ongoing conflict. The presence of these children in families breaks the bonds and relationships. Despite the woman’s fate by her husband, her in-laws and the rest of the community, children, meanwhile, are discriminated, rejected and sometimes death threats. They are called “children of the snake, rebellious children, Hutu children …” “Everyone followed me to kill this child because you cannot mix a Hutu child with Batembo children they said to me,” said Marguerite, tears the eyes.

“They brought me totems to cause abortion because they did not want this child in their family. During childbirth, my sisters-in-law had me out the womb. “The only protections those children have are just the mother. She provides everything to help them to survive by taking care of their educational and health care needs.

The meeting with Vision GRAM-International’s team has been beneficial to confide in and benefit from the assistance. She was taken to the hospital and began to benefit from psychological support from the center in company of other women. She received financial support for her business: “My life changed and I feel proud and respected in my village. People do consider me as before. I have the security that gives me such support. ”

The presence of this child gives him hope that life goes on and that he deserves better: “I look after one of his school; although I have no activity that can guarantee all his schooling … She is 8 and she is now in the second primary. But with the support of Vision GRAM-International, I know that this child is going to study like other supported by their father … She lives well with others, although she is still called ‘Hutu child’ ‘by my husband, “says Marguerite with a low voice, bursting into tears.

She is not the only woman to endure this situation. They are numerous in eastern DR Congo, they are struggling to recover and regain their health and rights. They have joined other women around the world to end this phenomenon, which has become a task in this part of the DR Congo, ravaged by violence due to armed conflict.

Ottawa, Dec 28, 2014- Vision GRAM-International, as a member of Control Arms, has joined Campaigners from around the world in Berlin to call on governments to take action on ATT implementation, ahead of the next round of informal consultations on the Treaty on 27-28 november 2014 in Berlin.

This meeting was an important moment to bring and share research and expertise, lobby governments to uphold their treaty commitments, organize side events and provide information for the media.

Full members of the Conference of States Parties (CSP) were the States who have ratified the Arms Trade Treaty. Signatories were able to attend as observers. The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) was opened for signature on June 3, 2013 at the United Nations in New York. Having reached the threshold of 50 ratifications required by the treaty on September 24th, 2014, the ATT will enter force on December 24, 2014, marking the beginning of the formal preparatory process towards the First Conference of States Parties which, according the treaty’s Article 17, has to be convened within a year following its entry into force.

Civil society played a major role in advocating for progressive, majority-based rules of procedure, full participation of civil society and fair financing mechanics; to contribute technical expertise, contribute research-findings, and offer support to States. They participated at the meeting and delivered several interventions on key areas of the agenda (in Opening Session and Prepcoms, Provisional Secretariat, Secretariat, Financing mechanisms, Rules of Procedure and Reporting).

Before the conference, the majority of campaigners held iconic green “Ampelmännchen” traffic signs to signify how too many irresponsible arms deals have been given the green light for too long. One campaigner stood alone to stop the others, holding a red sign symbolizing that it is time to stop arms deals that cause untold death and destruction.

The action reinforces Control Arms’ call to governments that they have a “#chance2change” the arms trade if they implement the ATT strongly and effectively, according to Control Arms.